SimplyMaggies

photo credit: Martin Kingsley

The ancient Greeks and Romans have possessed the secret to staying young and beautiful that somehow got lost through the centuries. And now the scientists are rediscovering that very secret.

The latest studies show that olive oil is not only one of the best moisturizers on earth but also has an enormous amount of anti-cancer properties. It has four different kinds of antioxidants, which combat damaging free radicals causing not only skin aging but also skin cancers. Studies performed on mice have shown that the mice that consumed olive oil or had it applied topically after exposure to UV lights had less skin cancers.

Moreover, olive oil has incredible moisturizing properties since it contains linoleic acid, which is found naturally in skin to help retain moisture. Unfortunately, the body needs it to be supplied either by consuming it through a diet or applying it topically, in the form of a cream or lotion.

So if you want to have supple and beautiful skin as well as keep it protected from the damaging effects of the sun rays, don’t shy away from eating olive oil (and we’re talking extra virgin olive oil since it comes from the first press, therefore contains the highest amount of antioxidants) and olives, adding it to your bath or simply rubbing it onto your skin (especially after sun exposure).

It seems mineral makeup is the thing nowadays… Everyone is talking about it and nearly every cosmetic company praises its values in attempt to convince you it is the absolute best in the whole makeup industry. But is it really? And first of all, what is so great about it?

As with any new trend in the cosmetic business, I tend to approach it with a bit of doubt and a fair amount of suspicion (especially when the manufacturers go into raptures over it). My philosophy: nothing is really that good!

So when I first came across mineral make-up foundation by L’Oreal (being accustomed to the creamy or liquid foundations and using powder only as a finish), I thought :”Wait a minute, how can this flimsy powder even give me enough coverage? There’s no way this will work!”.

And thus for the next few weeks I kept using my old make-up and once in a while coming back to the shelf with the fancy-sounding and looking mineral one. However, one day I realized that unless I buy this new kind of foundation, I will never know if the claims are actually true.

So what are the claims?—you ask… Because this type of make-up is made of mainly natural ingredients, such as finely ground minerals, it won’t irritate your skin and will “give you a light, natural, long-lasting glow that simply can’t be duplicated by other types of makeup.”

Moreover, it is free of chemicals, dyes, preservatives and fragrances often used in the conventional cosmetics, which can cause various skin problems. And mineral foundations have a calming effect on your skin because of the titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which have anti-inflammatory properties. And because it’s non-comedogenic, it won’t clog pores nor aggravate any skin condition, such as acne or rosacea.

What else would anyone want from a simple foundation?  Of course, I bought the new marvelous thing called mineral foundation and believe or not, it does absolutely everything it claims and I swear by it! It is by far the best foundation there is…

“In the land torn apart by civil war, pestilence, and shaky alliances, a man branded traitor may be the world’s only hope…” reads the back cover of the book, thus catching your attention long enough to skim through the short summary of what the story entails. And you’re caught in the world of sorceress, princes, monks (who are all  but simple), and magical creatures (all but elusive to the human eye) that walk the earth.

Thus, you meet  Valen—the rebellious son of a long line of pureblood cartographers and diviners, who wants nothing to do with neither his family nor his foretold destiny. When barely alive Valen finds his way to a monastery hoping for a sanctuary to survive the coming winter, he soon finds himself in the middle of a struggle between forces beyond his comprehension, all seeking answers to unlock the mysteries of the coming dark age. To save his country and his unexpected friends Valen must face his daunting past and find answers to the questions he’d rather not ask.

“Flesh and Spirit” is more than a fantasy novel. It reminds me of the Tolkien trilogy with its own world and creatures that exists only in the pages of the book. The story is perfectly written in a beautiful language that is a treat in itself (as always a pleasure to read something that challenges you as much as entertains) and the events are masterfully woven into the pages so to engross the reader from the very first page to the very last, leaving you gasping and stunned.

This novel is a first part of a two-volume series and the conclusion of “Flesh and Spirit” comes much too soon and leaves the reader bewildered, heart pounding, wishing for more…

So if you want an incredible adventure into the world of magic, gods and mystical creatures, pick up a copy of Carol Berg’s novel but makes sure that you’ll have an easy access to part two to this remarkable story or you’ll be left searching in all possible places for “Breath and Bone” to continue reading about Valen’s quest (just like I am…)